Bowden and Thompstone on route!!

[baz1664]

http://www.thisisleicestershire.co.uk/L ... story.html

Both young and have potential to improve, both will be good signings.

[Jay C]

quote from linky :

"and I understand Tigers are still hoping to land another winger before finishing their backs recruitment"

... no chance for Lewington to get game time next year then .....

[Snorbins]

They obviously join knowing the score as to probable game time and the strength of the squad!

[MurphysLaw]

Bowden, especially, will be a very good signing. It's a while since Tigers had a quality 12, who can kick.(12Ts could possibly have become one).Good competition for AA.
I haven't seen much of Thompstone.

[baz1664]

Tigers need to strengthen, Bowden is quality and will instantly push Flood for the 10 spot, he can also play centre and gives the tigers options, he has a super 12 background and i would say that he has far more potential than 12trees.

Thompstone is another pacey, powerful english winger/centre who again will give tigers options.

If tigers youth players cut the mustard then they will get there opportunity in the first team, i.e Cole, Manu, Youngs!!

Excellent signings cockers!!

[Darc Tiger]

Great couple of signings. Just what we neeeded. Looking forward to seeing what Bowden can do with our back line. I rate him a better 10 and 12 than Twelvetrees. Also agreee we should be taking a serious look at Lewington rather than bring in another winger.

[4071]

The 25-year-old Kiwi has remained an almost ever-present in the Irish side this season, playing most of his rugby at fly-half and kicking goals.

Kicking goals? Technically, yes....

So far his return with the boot in the Premiership this season is one penalty.
Last season, he also slotted a conversion.

I don't see him being a front-line goal-kicker for us when Flood is away - he's certainly a very long way behind 12T and even Staunton in terms of goal-kicking.

[MurphysLaw]

[quote="4071"][quote]The 25-year-old Kiwi has remained an almost ever-present in the Irish side this season, playing most of his rugby at fly-half [b]and kicking goals[/b].[/quote]

Kicking goals? Technically, yes....

So far his return with the boot in the Premiership this season is one penalty.
Last season, he also slotted a conversion.

I don't see him being a front-line goal-kicker for us when Flood is away - he's certainly a very long way behind 12T and even Staunton in terms of goal-kicking.[/quote]

Yes, he is not first choice kicker for Irish - I think Homer is very good - most consistent in the league? Doesn't mean that Bowden can't kick.

[jgriffin]

I think we are seeing the policy of coaching failure - the squad we have has got immense talent and potential, but has not fulfilled that. I put it firmly at the coaches door. A some good development players who've really impressed when given a shot are then discarded for another spell of doing nothing. Let's be honest, BY at the WC and MY injury meant we had to try Sam....and what a revelation he has been for many who didn't see him in action before. Lewington, Forsyth, Bower, Stevens and so on. But no, we buy in.

[GS]

Totally agree with JG. It seems strange to me that we sign wingers and backs, over our own homegrown lads, but have no apparent plan to use them. Are we hoping that they'll learn to scavenge around the mid-field looking for scraps a la Strettle and Cashton (next season) at Sorries?

Cockers commented that 12T didn't appear to want to fight for his place but as we've seen with him and Hawkins if your face don't fit your performance can be irrelevant. The first team appears pretty fixed and the competition is for the bench and odd scraps of time on the field as Cockers sends you on to turn the game round with 3 minutes to go.

[Smurphswillgetya]

Totally agree with JG. It seems strange to me that we sign wingers and backs, over our own homegrown lads, but have no apparent plan to use them. Are we hoping that they'll learn to scavenge around the mid-field looking for scraps a la Strettle and Cashton (next season) at Sorries?

Cockers commented that 12T didn't appear to want to fight for his place but as we've seen with him and Hawkins if your face don't fit your performance can be irrelevant. The first team appears pretty fixed and the competition is for the bench and odd scraps of time on the field as Cockers sends you on to turn the game round with 3 minutes to go.

Yet another thread moaning about RC! Why cant people stick to perhaps discussing the qualities of the players signed, whether they will fit in to Tigers style of play etc.

[jgriffin]

Because we wonder what the b.....h.... is going on when we see real talent being wasted and we care about it!
Never mind you can carry on discussing the quality of players; when there is no-one in the team with a local connection or from the development, as is the case with many wendyball sides, you might just wonder where the 'Leicester' bit went.

[MurphysLaw]

[quote="jgriffin"]Because we wonder what the b.....h.... is going on when we see real talent being wasted and we care about it!
Never mind you can carry on discussing the quality of players; when there is no-one in the team with a local connection or from the development, as is the case with many wendyball sides, you might just wonder where the 'Leicester' bit went.
[/quote]

Nice to see positivity again!
Btw can you name a season when Leicester, or any other prem team for that matter, have not 'bought in' talent?

[jgriffin]

That's not the point - of course we have.We always have. But I am focusing on the particular case, now, not some past or hypothetical case. Surprising it might be to some on this forum, but you can be a Tigers supporter, be very positive about lots of stuff, but also harbour negatives and doubts about some aspects of the situation. When I talk to supporters of other teams, they don't seem to have a problem with this, being open about the strengths and weaknesses of all aspects of their set-up. So why do we have to have the 'all-or-nothing' mentality here?

[Will S]

Bowden is an absolute quality player and I think he will give AA a real run for his money for the 12 shirt next year. Great that he can step in at 10 in an emergency as a quality replacement but still leaving Floody and George as the real contenders for the 10 shirt therefore not threatening Ford's development.

Don't see the problem in bringing in young talent. Look at some of the players in the current team who are true Tigers such as Castro and Geordan and it proves you don't have to come through the Acadamy to understand the Leicester way.